Esther before Ahasuerus, (1875) by Hugues Merle

Hugues Merle
Esther before Ahasuerus
Signed, dated Hugues Merle.1875
Oil on canvas, 57 x 37-½ in.

Provenance:
William Schaus Art Gallery, New York, 1877;
Collection of Percy Avery Rockefeller (1878–1934) and Isabel Goodrich Rockefeller, née Stillman (1876–1935);
Their sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 24 March 1938, lot 25;
Collection of Hubert Faure (1919–2021), Paris.

Catalogued in:
The New York Times, New Paintings at Schaus, 2 April 1877, p. 4.

Hugues Merle’s Esther before Ahasuerus depicts the dramatic moment in the biblical story where Queen Esther appears before King Ahasuerus without an invitation, risking her life to save her people from a royal decree of death. The young Jewish queen, a symbol of both beauty and courage, is captured in a moment of poignant distress. She is seen grasping a colorful hanging to steady herself, her expression filled with apprehension as she begins to lose her balance. Her gaze is distant, focused on the king, whose figure emerges darkly in the background. He sits atop a grand throne, his royal sceptre in hand, which will soon be extended in forgiveness.

The elaborate dress of Esther, adorned with jewels and a transparent veil, adds to the drama of her vulnerability. This painting is part of Merle’s series of Old Testament heroines, specifically created for the American market during the 1870s. Commissioned by American dealers Percy Avery and George Lucas, the work exemplifies the period’s taste for monumental biblical subjects. A smaller preparatory study for this work, Queen Esther, resides in a private collection.

Compare:
Hugues Merle, Queen Esther, 1875, oil on canvas, 78 x 68 cm, private collection.